Public Sector: Mayor quizzed over TfL comms salaries

During Mayor's Question Time on 13 July, Liberal Democrat councillor
Caroline Pidgeon questioned the salaries of TfL's top comms people.

Pidgeon said: 'Can you explain why, when you are reviewing all these
back office functions, including HR and finance, you are not reviewing
marketing and comms? You are preserving a director of news, a director
of marketing, a director of public affairs, all earning about £150,000 each, alongside a MD of marketing and comms on £230,000.
Is this really justified?'

The roles referred to are held by Stuart Ross, Chris MacLeod, David
McNeill and Vernon Everitt respectively. Director of customer experience
Shashi Verma has also recently been appointed.

The question came during a discussion about Project Horizon, a planned
programme of cuts at TfL.

Although Johnson promised to 'look into' the budgets, a spokesman from
TfL later stated that Project Horizon was part of a process to remove
duplication of roles within TfL.

'The director posts have not been reviewed, because there is not any
duplication of roles. But we're required to make savings of 20 per cent
by reducing duplication within marketing and comms.'